Chance controlled hemispherical game piece



lil 24, 1949.

SEARCH ROOM H. DESAULNIERS 2,471,202

CHANCE CONTROLLED HEMISPHERICAL GAME PIECE E? 5 A 8 nllllliidir EI5 ElFiled Jan. 11, 1946 jlvenz Zesou/nz'ens fil /or g Patented May 24, 1949SEARCH ROOM CHANCE CONTROLLED HEMISPHERICAL GAME PIECE HubertDesaulniers, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application January 11, 1946,Serial No. 640,427 In Canada December 17, 1945 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a new type of gamepiece adapted for use invarious recreational games involving luck and chance.

The game-piece of the invention is designed particularly to be employedin a game devised by the inventor which is known as Seven- Eleven-thesetwo numbers being as is well known, the approximate relation in size ofthe diameter of a sphere to its semi-circumference. As this nameimplies, the game-piece is constructed preferably of two members looselyassociable manually to form a sphere or other symmetrical body.

Hitherto, for use in games in which luck rather than skill essentiallydetermined the winner of the game, as for example in the well known gameof dice, it has been customary to use a unitary playpiece, adapted to beprojected or thrown through space in convenient manner and to come torest with one numbered face resting on the playing surface such as atable or floor, another face, bearing a number, being upwardly presentedsimultaneously, the latter number constituting the throwers score forthat particular throw.

Such types of playing piece were subject to the great disadvantage thatby experienced players, they could be manipulated by sleight of handwith the very undesirable result that the element of luck essential toafford every player an equal chance of winning a game, was therebygreatly diminished. Other devices of this class were objectionable inthat they could easily be loaded in such a way as to afford an unfairadvantage to their users.

These and other disadvantages inherent in prior proposals are obviatedin the game-piece of this invention which embodies what is in the natureof a new principle involving a game-piece having two complementaryportions. The separate portions are adapted to separate when throwntogether upwardly in the air and come to rest separately on a table orfloor in one of four possible positions, a predetermined sequence ofwhich positions must follow according to the rules of the game beforeany particular throw can be counted for scoring purposes by a thrower.

The game-piece according to the invention, therefore, comprises freelyassociable complementary portions, said portions having correspondingdefining surfaces, at least one of which on each portion has its partslying substantially in a plane. The complementary portions whichtogether constitute one piece, preferably each comprise a single planesurface and a single curved surface, but the invention may be embodiedin other forms defined by the claim appended.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detailwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the game-piece as assembled for throwing.

Figure 2 is a plan of the game-piece.

Figure 3 is a plan of one complementary portion of the game-piece.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one complementary portion of thegame-piece, and

Figures A, B, C and D represent the four possible thrown positions ofthe portions of a game-piece.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the piece" generallyrepresented by the numeral 20 comprises two portions, each respectivelyindicated by the numerals 2| and 22. The latter portions are eachsubstantially identical in form being defined by a circular planesurface as 23 and a hemispherical surface 24. Each sur face 23 bearsconcentric circles, as 25, of radii such that any diameter as 26 of thecircular plane 23 is intercepted thereby to form seven equal divisionsor spaces as respectively indicated by the numerals 21 to 33 inclusive,seen in Figures 3 and 4.

Both herispherical surfaces of the piece" are divided by concentriccircles 34 into zones each having its width substantially equal to thespaces such as 21, there being thus eleven such zones such as 35 and35A, symmetrically arranged with respect to a polar axis 36 takennormally at the centre of both circular planes 23, when the latter arearranged to form the spherical piece as seen in Figure 1.

The portions 2i and 22 which constitute a piece may be of any convenientsize and may be of any convenient material, resilient or nonresilient,as desired, including bone, rubber, resin, glass, wood, metal, ivory,plastic, etc. Each portion is coloured differently, one portion beingred for instance, and the other portion being white. The reason for thisis explained further in the rules of the game.

When used in play, the game-piece is preferably thrown manually, aplayer holding matching portions 2| and 22 arranged as seen in Figure 1,so that they together form substantially a complete sphere, either bymeans of his three fingers, thumb, forefinger and second finger, oralternatively, in the palm of the hand. The piece is thrown in the airwhere the portions separate, coming to rest on the table or floor onwhich the game is played. A convenient way of employing such "pieces" ina game will now be described in connection with the game Seven-Eleven"referred to earlier herein. This game may be played by two or moreplayers and may be for ten points or more as agreed beforehand betweenthe players. When played by two players it is played in the followingmanner. Each player chooses his colour and takes a piece composed 01. aportion having his own colour and a portion having his opponent'scolour. Ii red and white are used each player thus has an identicalpiece half red, half white. One of the players takes the two portionsforming one piece and he proceeds to the throwing. Let it be assumedthat one portion is white and the other is red and that the firstthrower has been asigned the white portion. He throws the piece" in themanner described above until he succeeds in obtaining either of thegroupings of the separate portions represented in Figure A or B. If inthree throws the first player does not obtain either combination A or Bhe loses his turn to throw and loses one point; he also loses his turnto throw and loses one point, if three times in succession he obtains C,or D, or a combination A and B, or C and D three times in succession.

In order to win, the first player, after he has succeeded in making A orB in two throws, must follow with another move, C or D according to thecolour assigned to the player, in which a half sphere of one colour isin the same position as it was in the preceeding throw. For example, ifthe white plays A, he must follow by playing C to win. If he plays theopposite D, he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. Similarly,if the red plays A he must play D to win and i! he plays B he must playto win. To recapitulate, ii the first player plays A or B three times insuccession, he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. If he playsC or D three times in succession, he loses his turn to throw and losesone point. I! he plays a combination of A and B or a combination of Cand D three times in succession he loses his turn to throw and loses onepoint. If he plays the piece" three times in succession and the separateportions come to rest touching each other, he loses his turn to throwand loses one point. Thrower must try and play C or D, according to thecolour assigned, after he has played A or B, or A and B in not more thantwo throws.

Example-It the white player throws A, he tries to make C immediatelyfollowing. If he makes D he loses his turn and loses one point. If hemakes C he wins one point and continues to throw.

Example-4f the white player throws 3. he tries to make D immediatelyfollowing. I! he makes C he loses his turn and loses one point. If hemakes D he wins one point and continues to throw.

Example-The white player throws A, then throws B, he must then followwith D immediately, in order to win one point.

Example-If the white player throws B and then throws A, he must now tryto throw C immediately following. When the red player throws, the samerules apply. It will thus be evident that every time a player makes aproper previously designated succession of throws, he makes one pointand he continues to throw.

It is to be understood that this particular game and its rules aremerely given to illustrate one game in which the game-piece of theinvention can conveniently be employed. It is evident that a novelgame-piece for such games has been provided which may be embodiedvariously, such embodiments being defined by the claim followmg.

What I claim is:

A game, comprising, a. pair of cooperating identical but completelyseparate pieces, each piece being a hemisphere solid throughout andhaving a fiat unbroken surface and a hemispherical unbroken surface, theflat surfaces of the respective pieces adapted to be juxtaposed to matethe pieces so as to form a sphere which can be held in the hand forthrowing but of which the hemispheres are free from connection with oneanother and may readily separate on beingthrown from the hand, the flatand hemispherical surfaces of each piece forming alternative bases oneither of which the individual piece can come to rest when thrown on aplaying surface, the surfaces oi the respective hemispheres carryingcontrasting indlcia adapted to distinguish one piece from the other.

HUBERT DESAULNIERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,224 Sachett Jan. 16, 19061,561,592 Bott Nov. 17, 1925 1,656,936 Beal Jan. 24, 1928 2,044,122Michener June 16, 1936 2,219,154 Wahlberg Oct. 22, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 505,452 Germany Aug. 19, 1930

